Bootstrapping a $1M Direct to Consumer E-Commerce Brand as a Side Hustle

Ben Feys and Kevin Niehoff had an issue.

As younger professionals working busy day jobs, they struggled with skincare points like pimples and eczema however couldn’t discover merchandise that labored for them.

Relatively than settle for their destiny, these finest associates determined to take issues into their very own palms. They dreamed of making the “Nike of skincare” — a model constructed particularly for lively males like themselves.

In 2019, Ben and Kevin lastly determined to scratch their entrepreneurial itch and switch this ardour venture right into a facet hustle actuality.

Little did they know their bootstrapped males’s skincare line YoPrettyBoy.com could be on monitor to generate over $1 million in annual income just some years later.

Tune into Episode 581 of The Facet Hustle Present to study:

• How Kevin and Ben validated the market alternative for PrettyBoy
• The intensive analysis and preparations that went into formulating and launching their merchandise
• Intelligent branding and positioning methods to face out in a crowded market
• Traction ways to effectively purchase prospects and drive repeat gross sales
• Key operational areas like manufacturing, success, and stock administration

Discovering the Thought and Early Inspiration

The skincare market already had numerous merchandise from large manufacturers. So what made Kevin and Ben assume they might compete?

As Kevin explains, “Ben and I’ve been going to dermatologists for over 10 years. We’ve been utilizing merchandise that haven’t actually been what we actually wished out of skincare.”

Each founders had struggled with skincare points since their teenage years. That they had tried merchandise from the most important manufacturers on the market however by no means discovered one thing that totally met their wants and preferences as male shoppers.

Ben added, “After I was youthful I had type of the acne-prone pores and skin breakouts [and] was tremendous self acutely aware about it.”

This impressed them to contemplate — what if they might develop a skincare line totally optimized for the way males wish to care for their pores and skin?

Intensive Pre-Launch Market Analysis

Ben and Kevin knew that launching a skincare model in an already crowded market wouldn’t be simple.

“There are dozens of skincare merchandise on the market, together with some from large manufacturers,” says Ben. “We requested ourselves, what’s going by means of your head? Can we actually compete with the massive guys?”

Relatively than get discouraged, the duo leaned into the competitors. As former athletes, Ben and Kevin have a aggressive drive baked into their DNA.

“Innovation is finest fostered by means of competitors,” says Ben. “We knew if we might be distinctive sufficient and resolve key ache factors, we may break into the market.”

To seek out these ache factors, Ben and Kevin went straight to the supply: lots of of potential male prospects. Their 30-question survey uncovered some clear preferences:

• Simplicity – Males wished streamlined routines with fewer merchandise.
• Efficiency – Their prime concern was merchandise that truly work.
• Texture – Heavy lotions and greasy formulation have been dealbreakers.

“So many manufacturers have been popping out with five-step routines or extra,” says Kevin. “However the knowledge confirmed most guys don’t wish to use greater than three merchandise.”

However they didn’t cease there. To construct credibility, they’d dermatologists consider the ingredients list for his or her product versus opponents. As Ben shares, “We did medical surveys the place we have been asking lots of of dermatologists to rank our ingredient checklist towards identify model opponents.”

Additionally they estimated the overall addressable market (TAM) for males’s skincare merchandise to be huge.

Armed with these insights, Ben and Kevin lastly felt assured they might compete in skincare—with the best branding and positioning.

Discovering the Proper Producer

Turning survey feedback into an precise product nonetheless posed challenges. Kevin admits, “We didn’t know what the hell we have been doing early on. We have been utilizing Google. We have been calling producers, simply making an attempt to get on the telephone, calling folks in China. And it was fairly nerve-racking.”

After months of calls and lifeless ends, they lastly related with a US-based contract producer by way of a networking connection (Kevin’s girlfriend).

This producer had expertise creating merchandise for main manufacturers and will deal with sourcing substances, formulating merchandise, compliance testing, and manufacturing.

The minimal order was daunting at 10,000 models and almost $70,000. However Kevin and Ben noticed it as go huge or go residence.

As Kevin defined, “If we’re going all in on this, it’s set to work and it’s going to work.”

Creating the Model Id

With the product growth underway, Kevin and Ben turned their focus to branding. They wished to create an id that may stand out in a sea of medical, masculine skincare manufacturers.

As a former soccer participant, Kevin wasn’t all the time flattered by the “fairly boy” moniker.

He explains, “Now all of us work out, eat wholesome, wish to look our greatest, kind of factor. And also you stated, am I the OG fairly boy within the earlier name? Like my soccer coach in highschool used to name me a reasonably boy for one. You put on the visor, the towel, look good, really feel good, play good.”

However they determined to reclaim the time period to mirror their positioning.

This mentality of embracing your look aligned properly with their goal demographic. And it allowed them to have enjoyable constructing out the model aesthetic throughout the web site, packaging, and content material.

Gaining These First Gross sales and Preliminary Traction

In mid-2021, the primary 10,000 unit manufacturing run arrived at Kevin and Ben’s doorstep. Now the actual work started—promoting to actual prospects.

Their preliminary gross sales got here from associates, household, and early supporters who had offered suggestions. However phrase of mouth alone wouldn’t scale the enterprise.

For broader buyer acquisition, Facebook ads have been essential. Kevin suggests easy video advertisements speaking to the digital camera concerning the product. They intention for price per buy within the mid $20s based mostly on the $70-80 buyer lifetime worth.

TikTok advertisements have been one other channel they tried however realized to focus advert spend on only one platform. As Kevin advises, “Don’t attempt to do too many issues. Keep on with one, turn into a grasp of it.”

Driving natural site visitors by means of SEO blog content has been huge too. Concentrating on informative key phrases can appeal to potential prospects.

Lead generation ways like providing 15% off in change for an electronic mail additionally helped seize web site guests.

Podcasts like Andrew Faris’ e-commerce show offered steering on methods to drive gross sales.

With a stable product and savvy advertising, PrettyBoy gained traction past simply family and friends.

Their gross sales funnel and buyer base expanded steadily.

Leveraging Instruments and Expertise

PrettyBoy leveraged varied instruments and applied sciences to streamline operations:

• 3PL: They upgraded to a third celebration logistics supplier for $3-3.50 per order. This freed up time for higher-level duties.
• UGC: Person-generated content material was extra reasonably priced than influencers.
• Fb Advertisements Library: Researching different prime manufacturers’ advertisements offered inspiration for their very own advert artistic.
• ChatGPT – An AI that writes Search engine optimization-optimized articles that appeal to and inform potential prospects.
• Shopify – They provide a subscription possibility on their Shopify retailer. Round 60% of month-to-month gross sales now come from subscribers.
• Amazon – Most product searches now start on Amazon, which offers unimaginable visibility.

A Day in Their Life and Classes Discovered

Throughout the early days, Kevin and Ben dealt with every little thing from packing orders to customer support. This gave them a hands-on understanding of the enterprise.

Stock administration and money stream projections have been challenges they improved over time by means of monetary modeling and forecasting. Managing an exterior 3PL associate additionally introduced new classes.

However total, staying lean and reinvesting income served them properly in scaling up effectively.

What’s Subsequent?

With robust momentum, the PrettyBoy crew is happy concerning the future. They intention to proceed exceeding gross sales targets by means of methods like expanded Amazon distribution.

Crossing $1 million in annual income is inside attain. And so they’re getting near with the ability to pursue the enterprise full-time.

There’s nonetheless loads of room to develop by optimizing digital advertising and increasing globally within the years forward.

Key Takeaways for Aspiring Entrepreneurs

Kevin and Ben’s success constructing PrettyBoy as a facet hustle presents inspirational classes for different aspiring entrepreneurs:

• Do your homework by means of intensive market analysis earlier than and after launch.
• Reinvest income to aggressively develop as a substitute of taking earnings too early.
• Assume huge concerning the whole addressable market and your potential area of interest.

Kevin and Ben’s #1 Facet Hustle Suggestions

• Kevin: “Get a co-founder, keep lean.”
• Ben: “Be customer-obsessed, get 1% higher day by day.”

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